Scripting and Design Questions

[life036]

Hey Guys, I'm designing a database right now to keep track of employees and their devices which are using Class C IP addresses in the 192.168.1.x range. I'm using Filemaker Pro 5.5.

It's a relational database with an employee table, a devices table, and an accounts table. The employee table has two portals to the other tables, which display the most important info. Right now my plan is to pre-create all 254 IP Address records, with no other info except a unique IP address. What I then want to do is make a script for a portal button that will bring up the list of existing IP Aadresses from the devices table, ask you to choose which IP address you want to use, and input the Employee_ID (Employee_ID is the key field for the employees table and the relationship field for the devices table) into the record for the IP you've chosen.

My main goal here is to make it so that I can easily see and choose from a list of all 254 IP addresses (whether they're in use or not), and be able to assign them to an employee through the use of a button in the portal.

Does it seem like this can be done? I know next to nothing about making scripts, so I'm a little lost.

And is the design OK? Am I missing something here that will make this a lot easier? Like using some other type of field other than number for my IP addresses?

If anyone wants to see what I'm talking about, you can download it at: http://64.75.136.42/misc/tracker.zip

I'd really appreciate any help or ideas.

Thanks!

[Ender]

Can I ask, what's the purpose of tracking employee workstation IP addresses?

[life036]

We don't use DHCP because there are too many printers and servers that need static IPs, which are all over the place in terms of which numbers they use. Plus we use software like Timbuktu to remotely connect to static workstations when we can't get to them physically(since our security guards lock up many areas early in the day and leave a few hours before the administration department). We don't want to get into a big reassigning project and create chaos right now. So what we do need is a better way of keeping track of our devices, IP's, and user accounts than the useless spreadsheet we're currently working off of.

[Ender]

This may not be the solution to your database question, but it may solve it anyway.

I'd suggest a static range for servers, a static ranges for printers, and a DHCP range for workstations. It is so much easier using DHCP than worrying about static IP conflicts. Timbuktu can scan the whole local subnet or specified ranges for active workstations.

[life036]

We are eventually going to do that, but there are too many other things to do right now. It's only two of us supporting about 120 users, and we do everything - purchasing, wiring (which has been a monumental timesucker because we just upgraded to VoIP - replacing all the cat3s with cat5s), all troubleshooting of computers and phones, and moves adds and changes.

Hmmm, but even after we upgrade I still want to keep track of our statics...